Power unit mounting for industrial trucks



Dec. 1,1942. B. ULINSKI 2,304,

POWER UNIT MOUNTING FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS Original Filed Aug. 19, 193'?5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 5. 1/4 //v5/r/ ATTORNEY Dec, 1, W42. B.ULINSKH POWER UNIT MOUNTING FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS gamma Original FiledAug. 19, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1942. B.ULINSKI POWER UNIT MOUNTING FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS Original Filed Aug. 719, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY '5 Sheet-Sheet 4 B. ULINSKI POWERUNIT MOUNTING FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS Original Filed Aug" 19, 1937 Dec. 1,1942.,

INVENTOR 5 au/vs/f/ ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1942. B. ULINSKI 2,304,040

POWER UNIT MOUNTING FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS Original Filed Aug. 19,-193'75 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR B. 4 //V5/f/ ATT ORNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1942POWER UNIT MOUNTING FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS Bronislaus Ulinski, Chicago,111., assignor to The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application August 19,1937, Serial No.

Divided and this application Decemher 9, 1939, Serial No. 308,350

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric industrial truck of the typeadapted for moving heavy industrial loads, and is a division of myapplication for patent, Serial No. 159,824, filed August 19, 1937, nowPatent No. 2,207,688.

Industrial trucks of the class including my invention are usuallyequipped with a main frame having a battery box containing a battery, aseries of supporting wheels, and a power traction unit for drivingcertain of the wheels. In addition, there are present a pair of verticaluprights which are mounted for tilting, and are tilted by apower unit,called a tilting unit. On the uprights there is usually mounted aplatform which moves up and down on the uprights through means ofrollers, and is so moved bya third power unit, which is called a liftingunit. In addition, in trucks of especially heavy capacity, there will bea fourth power unit for steering the truck.

It is obvious that the presence of these various power units all on onetruck, presents a problem in design. It is necessary that the severalunits be mounted effectively, and in such a manner that they will bereadily accessible, simple to assemble and install, and economical ofspace. As one of the salient features of my invention, I have conceivedand developed highly desirable mountings for my various power units, andmore particularly, the traction unit.

Broadly, my invention comprises the mounting of the traction unit sothat it is pivotally supported on the main frame in the axis of thepower shaft driven by it, and is maintained against movement ofdisplacement relatively to frame of the truck. Thus, my traction unit isapplication supra, in order that the relation of the traction unitthereto may be better understood. I should like to indicate, however,that I since the principles of my contribution to the art may beembodied in a number of different my patent monopoly protect me againstthe utilization of the principles of my invention by others in specificforms different from those herein set forth.

I shall now refer to the drawingswherein Fig. l is a side view of atruck embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the truckof'Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of the main frame of the truck, showingthe mounting of a cross frame member relatively to the main side platesof my truck. Fig. 4 is a side view of the forward portion of the mainframe of my truck illustrating the mounting of the cross frame memberreferred to in describing Fig. 3. Fig. 5 illustrates in detail themounting of the platform lift unit, as it will be called, and thetransmission of the power from said lift unit to the elevating platform.Fig. 6 is an elevation and partial section of the traction unit of myinvention, illustrating its relation to the cross frame member. Fig. 7

is a partial section of the mechanism of Fig. 6

mounted on the axis of its drive shaft, and the traction torque isaccepted by an arm extending from the traction unit and preferablysecured to the main frame. This arm is preferably of a type mounted forresisting forces-of tension and compression, and is therefore positionedfunctionally tangential to the circle of rotation of the traction uniton the main frame. There is, of course, considerable novelty in thestructure of my traction unit as well as in the mounting thereof, all aswill be quite apparent from a reading of the specification whichfollows.

While the basis of this application is the traction unit per se, and themeans for mounting it,

ly. Fig. 8 shows in section the details of the mounting of theconnecting bar extending from the traction unit to the cross framemember. Fig. 9 is an elevation and partial section illustrating themounting of the unit for tilting the uprights of my invention, this unitbeing called the tilt unit. Fig. 10 is an elevation and partial sectionillustrating also the operation of the tilt unit.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and especially to Figs.1 and 2, my truck embodies a main frame having a rear portion ID, amedial lowered portion .H in the form of a platform on which the truckoperator may stand, and a forward raised portion l2. It is the forwardportion l2 which carries an important portion of the main frame calledby me a cross frame member, designated by reference numeral l3 in Figs.3 and 4. This cross frame member is so secured to the portions extendingfrom the side main plates M of the truck that it may be consideredintegral with the said side main plates.

Having now set forth the general construction of the main frame, I shallfirst describe the I hall describe herein, the truck disclo d in mytraction unit of my invention. This traction unit as is probably bestillustrated in Fig. 7-. While the wheels i8 are driven by the driveshaft 11, they are preferably each mounted for rotation through rollerbearings i9 about what Ishall term sleeves 29 which surround the driveshaft 11 The two sleeves 29, one extending from each side of the gearbox It, are secured to the lower end of the gear box by a series ofbolts 29a. passing through flanges 262) formed integrally with the saidsleeves. At their opposite ends, the sleeves 20 are assembled forrotation relatively to the main frame through the cross frame mem-,

ber i3 already described. This cross frame member 13 has a pair ofextensions 2| (Fig. 4), each having a bearing portion 22 formed thereon.Each of these bearing portions 22 has a related bearing portion 23formed on a removable hearing 24, each of the laterally ext-endingsleeves being secured to the cross frame member through the fastening ofbearing 25 to extension 2i by bolts 25. It is in this manner that thetraction unit is secured in position to the main frame. As will be notedin Fig. 7, each of the wheels i9 is properly supported on its sleeve 29through bearings i9, and is further held in position by a laterallyextending portion 26 of each of the portions 21 of the cross framemember 13, and a laterally extending portion 240, of the bearing 24.

with the traction unit secured through sleeves 29 relatively to the mainframe, and with the wheels l8 in position on the sleeves 29 and splinedto the drive shaft I1 as shown in Fig. 7, it is quite obvious thatactuation of the motor l will drive the shaft i1 and wheels l8, providedsome means are present to absorb the torque tending to rotate thetraction unit on bearing portions 22, 23 about the axis of drive shafti1 and the sleeves To this end, there is secured to theupper end of thegear box IS an ear 21 constructed as is best shown in Fig. 8. The smallthreaded end 28 of a shaft 30 extends through an opening 29 in the ear21, as is shown in Fig. 8, and is secured to the ear 21 through a nut 3imounted on said threaded end. The nut 3| cooperates with the shoulderedportion 32 of the shaft 30, a pair of metal washers 33, and a pair ofrubber disks 34, as is clearly shown. It will be appreciated thatbecause of the particular mounting, the rubber disks 34 will absorbany-vibration between the shaft 30 and the traction unit ear 21. The endof the shaft 30 opposite end 29 is threaded as at 35, and is securedthrough the said threads and a locking nut 35 to a threaded lug 31integral with the cross frame member i3.

At this point, it should be indicated that the cross frame member I3 hasan opening 39 through which extends the motor housing 15 of my tractionunit. It will now be readily appreciated that the power generated by themotor of the power unit will drive the shaft 11 transmitting motion tothe wheels I8, the torque thus developed about the drive shaft 11 beingaccepted by the shaft 39 connected to the main frame through cross frame13, and with the vinumeral 39.

torque being absorbed by the rubber disks 34. It must be emphasized thatthe shaft 30 is mounted for resisting forces of tension and compressiononly, and is therefore positioned tangentially to the circle in whichthe traction unit rotates, all as is readily seen.

Having now described. the mounting of my traction unit, I shall describethe mounting of the tilting uprights. These uprights are of the usualfamiliar form known to the art, their sectional shape being best shownin Figs. 2 and 7, wherein the uprights are designed by reference Securedto each of the uprights 39 by riveting or welding, is a bearing sector40, this hearing sector being bored out as at 4| for mounting about thesleeve 20, as is probably best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7. Because ofthis particular construction, it is readily observed that each of theuprights 39 will readily tilt about a sleeve 26. The upright bearingportions 40 are confined on the sleeves 20 at one side by a surface ofthe cross frame member 2| and removable bearing 24, and by a sleeve 56on the other side.

Mounted for vertical sliding movement on the uprights 39 is a forkplatform 42 carried by a vertically sliding carriage 43, bestillustrated in Fig. 1. This carriage 43 has mounted on each side thereofa series of three rollers 44 which lie between the flanges of thechannels forming the vertical uprights 39, and guide the carriage in itsvertical movement.

For moving the carriage 43 up and down on the uprights 39, I utilize twopairs of chain members, one pair operating on one side of the carriage43, while the other pair cooperates with the other side of the carriage43 to yield a more uniform lifting action. Only one pair of chains willbe described here. This pair is designated by reference numeral 45, andcarries at one end thereof a link 49 which through a bolt 41 is securedto the carriage 43. The pair of chains extends upwardly from its pointof fastening by bolt 41, as is best illustrated in Fig. 1, over a pairof sprocket wheels 49 supported by uprights 39, then downwardly over apair of sprocket wheels so, then upwardly to the carriage 43, where theyare secured to the end of a lever 50.

It will now be appreciated that when motion is transmitted to each ofthe pairs of chains 45 through the lower pairs of sprockets 49 shown inFig. 7, the pairs of chains W111 act to move the carriage 43 upwardly ordownwardly, as the case may be, to elevate the fork platform 42.

In describing the lifting of the carriage 43, I pointed out that eachpair of chains 45 is arranged to travel over and to be actuated by apair of sprockets 49. It should now be indicated bration incidental tosaid acceptance of the that these sprockets 49 are integral with sleeve56 on which is also formed a third sprocket 51 of considerably largersize than the sprockets 49. Each sleeve 59 rotates freely about itssleeve 29, and is of such length as to occupy all of the space betweenthe bearing portion 49 of the tilting uprights 39, and a horizontalflange 59 extending from the sleeve 29, as is best shown in Fig. 7. Atthis point, it will simply be indicated that the sprocket 51 is drivenby a chain 59, and thus transmits motion to the sprockets 49, which inturn through chains 45 actuate the vertically moving carriage 43, as hasalready been indicated.

I shall now describe the means for actuating each of the chains 59 andthe sprockets 51 for elevating the carriage 43. The unit which driveseach chain 59 is termed a lift unit, and is best shown in detail in Fig.5, although its relation to the main frame of the truck is well shown inFig. 1. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 5, the lift unit comprises a motor88 which through a set of gears contained in a gear box 6|, drives ashaft 82. The cross frame member I3 has a bracket 83, probably bestshown in Figs. 5 and 6, which thereto supports a bearing member 68carrying I a ball bearing 89 for mounting in rotatable relation thedrive shaft 62. This drive shaft 62 carries a pair of sprockets 18 whichdrive the chains 59. As has already been indicated, it is the chains 59which drive the sprockets 51 which in turn, because they are eachintegral with the sleeves 58 carrying sprockets 49, drive the liftchains 45. At this point, it is well to indicate that the chains 59driven by the sprockets 18 carried on the shaft 92, traverse holes IIformed in a part of the cross frame member I3, as will be quiteapparent.

For completing the support of the lift unit, one end of the gear box 6|has secured'thereto as by pin I2, a link l3, which is adjustable througha nut 19 and carries a fork I5 pinned at 18 to the main frame. The liftunit is also shown with the usual solenoid brake Tl actuated by thesolenoid I8, these parts being of a usual type well known in the art,and therefore not requiring any further detailed explanation- It will bewell at this time to analyze briefly the construction so far described.It will be quite evident that a traction unit comprising a drive shaftand sleeves, is mounted about the axis of the drive shaft on the mainframe of the truck. The only other connection between the traction unitand the main frame is means for absorbing the torque incidental to thetransmission of tractive effort to the traction wheels. It will also beremembered that the tilting uprights are mounted for rotation about theaxis of the drive shaft, andthat the sprockets for driving the chainswhich actuate the lifting carriage are also mounted for rotation on theaxis of the drive shaft. As for the lift unit, it is supported on itsdrive shaft, and a torque link connects it to the main frame.

I shall now describe the mounting of the tilt unit and the manner inwhich the tilt unit tilts the uprights. The tilt unit is probably bestshown in Figs. 9 and 10, and as there shown comprises an electric motor19, gear boxes 88 and 8| containing gears, and a drive shaft 82 actuatedby the motor through the gears in boxes 88 and 8|. This drive shaft 82is supported at its opposite ends in adjustable bearings 83 and carriesa sprocket 88 at each of its opposite ends for driving a chain 85, eachchain in turn driving a sprocket wheel 88 integral with a pinion 81.Each pinion 81 in turn drives a rack 88 which is pivoted at 89 to theuprights 39. It will now be quite readily appreciated that rotation ofshaft 82 through operation of the motor 19 will through sprockets andchains 84, 85 and 88, drive the pinions 81, which through racks 88 willtilt the uprights 39 into any position which may be desired.

As is quite readily seen in Fig. 10, the entire tilt unit is supportedon the shaft 82. For absorbing the torque which is developed by the tiltunit tending to rotate it on the axis of the shaft 82,

there extends from gear box 8! an arm 8 I which is secured through a pin98 to the frame of the truck as at 9|, the principle involved being thesame as that described with regard to Fig. 6, in which the means foraccepting the torque of the traction unit were described.

In addition to the mechanism just described, Fig. 9 shows also a pair ofcontr Llers 92 and 93, and operating levers 94 and 95. These controllersare used for controlling the various electric motors which have beendescribed, all of which will be readily appreciated by those skilled inthe art. These controllers are positioned above and in front of thelower medial portion II of the main frame so as to be readily operableby a man occupying the truck platform. Naturally, there is a controllerfor each power unit which has so far been described, and an additionalcontroller for the power steering mechanism which is shown in thisapplication, but which is not described in detail or claimed since itforms the subject of an additional application, as has already been setforth.

For purposes of clarity, it should be indicated, however, that the powersteering motor is designated by reference numeral 96 in Figs. 1 and 2,and is controlled by a controller through handle 91. The motor 98operates through a gear box 98 to rotate the steering wheels I83 of thetruck through connecting links 99, I88, I8! and I82, as is bestillustrated in Fig. 2.

The wheels I88 are mounted in a pocket I88 formed in the main frame I8,the upper portion of this pocket being arranged for the mounting of abattery which forms the power source for the various power units hereindescribed. This mounting of the battery is important, since it acts tocounterbalance the load placed on the forks at the opposite end of thetruck. The lower half of the pocket I88 contains longitudinally spacedbearing portions I and 86 which support a bearing shaft I87. A crossbeam member I88 has formed thereon a medial sleeve portion I89, throughwhich passes the bearing shaft I81. In this way, the cross beam memberI88 is supported for pivotal movement relatively to the main frameaboutthe iongitudinal bearing shaft I81.

The beam I88 is bored at each of its opposite ends at II 8 for theinsertion of a vertical shaft III of a wheel supporting fork 2 (Fig. 1).Each wheel supporting fork IIZ carries a wheel I83 about a shaft H3,each wheel I83 and its fork -I I2 being rotatable about the verticalshaft III, and thus about an axis passing centrally and diametricallythrough each wheel.

The operation of the truck embodying my invention being now quite clear,I claim:

1. In a truck of the class described, a main frame, a traction unitcomprising a vertically positioned gear casing, the lower end of whichhas extending therefrom a pair of axle housings, bearing means for saidaxle housings formed on said main frame whereby said traction unit ismounted for rotation relatively to said main frame while held againstdisplacement bodily relatively thereto, a horizontally disposed tractionmotor, a casing for said motor extending horizontally from said gearcasing, a

rod secured to the upper end of said gear casing and extendinghorizontallyto said main frame,

2. In a truck of the class described, a main frame, a traction'unitcomprising a vertically positioned gear casing, the lower end of whichhas extending therefrom a pair of axle housings, bearing means for saidaxle housings formed on said main frame whereby said traction unit ismounted for rotation relatively to said main frame while held againstdisplacement bodily relatively thereto, a traction motor, a casing forsaid motor extending from said gear casing, a rod secured to the upperend of said gear casing and extending horizontally to said main frame,and means securing the rod to said main frame whereby said rod acceptsthe driving torque of said traction unit.

3. In a truck of the class described, a main frame, a traction unit forsaid truck comprising a gear casing, a traction motor, and horizontallyextending axle housings, bearings on a fixed part of said main frame onwhich said horizontally extending axle housings are rotatably mountedand whereby said traction unit is entirely supported as a unit by saidbearings and is adapted to rotate on said main frame while held againstdisplacement bodily relatively to said main frame, a tension andcompression rod fixed at one end to said main frame and at its other endto said traction unit and positionedto accept axially thereof the torqueof said traction unit tending to rotate said traction unit relatively tosaid main frame, and resilient pads insulating at least one end of saidtension and compression rod relatively to the means to which said end isfixed.

4. In a truck ofthe class described, a main frame, a traction unit forsaid truck comprising a gear casing, a traction motor, and horizontallyextending axle housings forming part of said gear casing, bearings on afixed part of said main frame on which said horizontally extending axlehousings are rotatably mounted whereby said traction unit is entirelysupported as a unit by said bearings and is adapted to rotate on saidmain frame, a tension and compression rod fixed at one end to said mainframe and at' its other end to said traction unit and in a position toaccept axially thereof the compression and tension forces developed bysaid traction unit tending to rotate said traction unit on said mainframe, while relieved by said bearing means of the weight of saidtraction unit and the forces tending to move said traction unit bodilyrelatively to said main frame.

BRONISDAUB 'ULINSKI.

